The Place For Honest Record Reviews

Usually when a well-established band attempts to replace a key member of its lineup, the results are less than thrilling. Only a handful of bands have successfully accomplished this move, mostly because they went with their artistic gut rather than their commercial desires and continued to produce music that was original and memorable (the names Van Halen, AC/DC and Wilco come immediately to mind as prime examples). Most bands that attempt to replace popular members, however, make the gigantic mistake of trying to find a substitute that is a dead ringer for the member being replaced (Journey, Judas Priest and the biggest disaster in this category, Blind Melon). This usually brings on the one-two punch of both turning off all but the most diehard fans and leaving their music sounding stale. After all, the new member wasn’t hired for their originality, but simply because they could mimic the guy with the originality. Continue reading →

Listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s latest release, God and Guns, it’s hard to fathom how the band strayed so far from their original (and far superior) sound. Gone are the down-home grooves and simple-yet-brilliant lyrical themes present on the band’s classic material, the songs that built their legend and remain endeared by the masses since their debut over three decades prior. What remains are trite rockers and forced ballads, reminiscent of much of the country-pop scene that is dominating the Billboard charts as of late. The bulk of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s current recordings are nothing but throwaways, nothing more than an obvious cash grab wrapped in an effort to keep the present day lineup and its name on tour and raking in the dough. Continue reading →

About The Record Review

After almost a year away, The Record Review is back in business. Thank you for your patience and continued visits to the site. Welcome back…

Noteworthy New Releases: March 2012

Coming Soon…

This Week’s New Reviews: Week of February 13, 2012

Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth

About the Site

The Record Review was established in May of 2009 to provide a place for fans of music to come and read an honest review of new and noteworthy album releases. The site rose from the ashes of The Magnus Album Archive, which operated from Spring 2006 – Spring 2009. Content from the original site is available in the Archives section of The Record Review. This blog is owned and operated by Ian Rice, a freelance writer who simultaneously does review and feature work for Hittin’ the Note magazine. All reviews here are the sole property of the original author and may not be republished without express permission.

Ian Rice – EditorJeremy Hunsaker – Contributing Writer

Interested in contributing to The Record Review?

Please feel free to submit any and all reviews to ianmagnus@gmail.com. Reviews should typically be 1000-1500 words. Please include your name and e-mail (optional) so proper credit can be provided. At this time, The Record Review does not compensate authors for their contributions. The Record Review reserves the right not to publish any submission it deems inappropriate to the site and its content standards.

A Little Note About “The Loudness War”:

On each and every review posted to The Record Review, you will see a notation as to whether or not the release is a victim of “The Loudness War.” If you are unfamiliar with “The Loudness War” and what it entails, please check out this short but very informative YouTube clip.